Shift operating device

ABSTRACT

A shift operating device for a bicycle is provided to change gears of the bicycle. The shift operating device is coupled to the front or rear derailleur via a shift cable. The shift operating device is also coupled to a gear indicator device via an indicator cable. The shift operating device has an attachment portion, a hand operating portion, and a take up member. The attachment portion is adapted to be coupled to a portion of a handlebar of the bicycle. The hand operating portion is coupled to the attachment portion to move between a plurality of shifting positions. The take up member is operatively coupled to the hand operating portion to move in response to movement of the hand operating portion. The take up member has a peripheral winding surface, a first cable attachment point and a second cable attachment point. The first and second cable attachment points of the take up member are located such that shift and indicator cables extend outwardly from the take up member and winds about the peripheral winding surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/250,413 filed on Feb. 16, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,925.The entire disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/250,413 ishereby incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to a shift operating device for abicycle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a shiftoperating device with a gear indicator that is operatively connected toa part of the transmission system of a bicycle to indicate the positionof the front or rear gears of the bicycle.

2. Background Information

Bicycling is becoming an increasingly popular form of recreation as wellas a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a verypopular competitive sport. Whether the bicycle is used for recreation,transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantlyimproving their components. In particular, bicycle components areconstantly becoming lighter and less expensive while maintaining a highlevel of performance. Moreover, bicycle components are constantly beingdesigned so as to be more ergonomic and user friendly. One particularcomponent of the bicycle that has been extensively redesigned over thepast years, are the shifting units of bicycles.

There are many types of shifting units that are currently available onthe market. The shifting units range in quality and price. Regardless ofthe quality and price of the shifting unit, the shifting unit typicallywill have some sort of gear position indicator. Typically, the gearposition indicator is located at the take-up member of the shiftoperating device that winds up the inner wire of the shift controlcable. Thus, the rider must look towards the handle portion of thehandlebars in order to determine the current gear positions.Accordingly, this is very inconvenient for the rider. One example ofsuch a shifting device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,052,241 toNagano and 5,458,018 to Kawakami.

Accordingly, gear indicators have been developed which are mounted on acenter portion of the bicycle so that the rider does not have to takehis or her eyes off of the road to determine the current gear position.Examples of gear indicators or displays that are mounted on a centerportion of the bicycle are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,979 to Cohenand U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,033 to Kund. Another example of an indicatorthat is mounted on a center portion of the bicycle is disclosed inJapanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-23273 which discloses ashifter mounted on the upper horizontal frame tube and in which theindicator is mounted on a center portion of the handlebars. However,these types of gear indicators are often difficult to install and arecomplicated and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a shift operatingdevice that is used with a remote gear indicator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shift operatingdevice with a take up member that can be adapted to various types ofhand actuators.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shift operatingdevice with a simple and light construction

Also an object of the present invention is to provide a shift operatingdevice for a bicycle which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior artnoted above.

The above objects can be fulfilled, according to the present invention,by providing a shift operating device for a bicycle that changes gearsof the bicycle. The shift operating device is coupled to the front orrear derailleur via a first cable. The shift operating device is alsocoupled to a gear indicator device via a second cable. The shiftoperating device has an attachment portion, a hand operating portion,and a take up member. The attachment portion is adapted to be coupled toa portion of a handlebar of the bicycle. The hand operating portion iscoupled to the attachment portion to move between a plurality ofshifting positions. The take up member is operatively coupled to thehand operating portion to move in response to movement of the handoperating portion. The take up member has a peripheral winding surface,a first cable attachment point and a second cable attachment point. Thefirst and second cable attachment points of the take up member arelocated such that first and second cables extend outwardly from the takeup member and winds about the peripheral winding surface.

The above objects can also be fulfilled, according to the presentinvention, by providing a shift operating device for a bicycle thatchanges gears of the bicycle. The shift operating device has anattachment portion, a hand operating portion, a take up member, a firstcable housing support and a second cable housing support. The attachmentportion is adapted to be coupled to a portion of a handlebar of thebicycle. The hand operating portion is coupled to the attachment portionto move between a plurality of shifting positions. The take up member isoperatively coupled to the hand operating portion to move in response tomovement of the hand operating portion. The first cable housing supportis located adjacent the take up member, and has a first cable housingreceiving bore to guide the first cable from the take up member. Thesecond cable housing support is located adjacent the first cable housingsupport, and has a second cable housing receiving bore to guide a secondcable from the take up member. The second cable housing receiving boreis arranged to extend longitudinally in substantially the same directionas the first cable housing receiving bore.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the forgoingobjects can be attained by providing a shift operating device for abicycle, comprising an attachment portion, a hand operating portion, atake up member, an indicator cable and a gear indicator. The attachmentportion is adapted to be coupled to a portion of a handlebar of thebicycle. The hand operating portion is coupled to the attachment portionto move between a plurality of shifting positions. The take up member isoperatively coupled to the hand operating portion to move in response tomovement of the hand operating portion. The take up member has aperipheral winding surface, a first cable attachment point and a secondcable attachment point. The first and second cable attachment points ofthe take up member are located such that first and second cables extendoutwardly from the take up member and winds about the peripheral windingsurface. The indicator cable has a first end and a second end with thefirst end located in the peripheral surface of the take up member. Thegear indicator has an indicator housing with an indicator member coupledto the second end of the indicator cable for movement of the indicatormember relative to the indicator housing.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the hand operating portionis in the form of a lever member, while in other embodiments of thepresent invention, the hand operating portion is in the form of arotatable tubular hand actuator. In the rotatable tubular hand actuatorembodiments of the present invention, the take up member can beconstructed of two take-up parts or a single take up part.

These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with theannexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of thisoriginal disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a conventional bicycle equippedwith a shifting unit in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view of the handlebar of the conventionalbicycle equipped with the shifting unit mounted together with a brakelever assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a partial front perspective view of the handlebar with theright shift operating device coupled thereto in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a first side elevational view of a take up member for theright shift operating device illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the take up member illustrated in FIG. 4for the right shift operating device illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a second side elevational view of the take up memberillustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 for the right shift operating deviceillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a third side elevational view of the take up memberillustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6 for the right shift operating deviceillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the take up memberillustrated in FIGS. 4 through 7 in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention as viewed along section line 8—8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the take up memberillustrated in FIGS. 4 through 8 in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention as viewed along section line 9—9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the take up memberillustrated in FIGS. 4 through 9 in accordance with one embodiment ofthe present invention as viewed along section line 10—10 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of a right shift operating devicecoupled thereto in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of right shiftoperating device illustrated in FIG. 11 with certain parts notillustrated;

FIG. 13 is an exploded elevational view of a portion of right shiftoperating device illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 with certain parts notillustrated;

FIG. 14 is a partial perspective view of a right shift operating devicecoupled thereto in accrodance with another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of right gearindicator assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 with certain parts notillustrated;

FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the right gear indicator illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 15 for the right shift operating device illustrated in FIGS.2 and 3 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the right gearindicator illustrated in FIGS. 2, 15 and 16 for the right shiftoperating device illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention as viewed along section line 17—17of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the right gearindicator illustrated in FIGS. 15 through 17 for the right shiftoperating device illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention as viewed along section line 17—17of FIG. 16 with the indicator member in the low gear (rightmost)position;

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the right gearindicator illustrated in FIGS. 15 through 18 for the right shiftoperating device illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention as viewed along section line 17—17of FIG. 16 with the indicator member in the high gear (leftmost)position after elongation of the cable;

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of right gearindicator assembly illustrated in accordance with another embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 21 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the right gear indicatorillustrated in FIG. 20 in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 22 is a top plan view of a portion of right gear indicator assemblyillustrated in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 23 is a top plan view of the right gear indicator illustrated inFIG. 22 with the indicator member in the high gear (leftmost) positionafter elongation of the cable, but prior to adjustment of the cover;

FIG. 24 is a top plan view of the right gear indicator illustrated inFIGS. 22 and 23 with the indicator member in the high gear (leftmost)position after elongation of the cable, but after adjustment of thecover;

FIG. 25 is a partial front perspective view of the handlebar with thegear indicators mounted thereto by the gear indicator holder inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is an exploded partial front perspective view of the handlebarwith the gear indicators mounted thereto by the gear indicator holderillustrated in FIG. 25 in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 27 is a partial front perspective view of the handlebar with thegear indicators mounted thereto by a gear indicator holder in accordancewith another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 28 is an exploded partial front perspective view of the handlebarwith the gear indicators mounted thereto by the gear indicator holderillustrated in FIG. 27 in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional bicycle 10 isillustrated with a pair of shifting units 11 a and 11 b coupled theretoin accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. Bicycle10 is a typical bicycle that includes a frame 12, a handlebar 13, a pairof wheels 14, a pair of pedals 15 for driving a chain 16, a rearderailleur 17 that guides chain 16 laterally along a plurality of rearsprockets mounted to rear wheel 14 and a front derailleur 18 that guideschain 16 laterally along a plurality of front sprockets mounted to thebottom bracket (not shown).

Bicycle 10 and its various components, except for shifting units 11 aand 11 b, are well-known in the prior art. Thus, bicycle 10 and itsvarious components will not be discussed or illustrated in detailherein, except for the components that relate to the present invention.In other words, only shifting units 11 a and 11 b and the componentsthat relate thereto will be discussed and/or illustrated herein.

Shifting units 11 a and 11 b are fixedly coupled to handlebar 13 ofbicycle 10 and operatively coupled to rear derailleur 17 and frontderailleur 18. Each of these shifting units 11 a and 11 b aresubstantially identical to each other, except that shifting unit 11 a iscoupled to rear derailleur 17 which has seven shift positions, andshifting unit 11 b is operatively coupled to front derailleur 18 whichhas only three gear shifting positions. Of course, it will be apparentto those skilled in the art that shifting units 11 a and 11 b can haveany number of gear shifting positions. The number of gear shiftingpositions or stages will depend upon the number of gears or sprocketsused in the bicycle's transmission. In other words, while shifting unit11 a is illustrated as a seven-stage shifting unit and shifting unit 11b is illustrated as a three-stage shifting unit, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from this disclosure that shifting units 11 aand 11 b can be constructed with additional stages or fewer stages asneeded and/or desired.

As used herein, the terms “forward, rearward, upward, above, downward,below and transverse” refer to those directions of a bicycle in itsnormal riding position. Accordingly, these terms as utilized to describeshifting units 11 a and 11 b in the claims, should be interpretedrelative to bicycle 10 in its normal riding position.

Shifting unit 11 a basically includes a first shift operating device 19a operatively coupled to rear derailleur 17 via first shift cable 20 a,and a first gear indicator 21 a operatively coupled to first shiftoperating device 19 a by a first indicator cable 22 a. Similarly,shifting unit 11 b basically includes a second shift operating device 19b operatively coupled to front derailleur 18 via second shift cable 20b, and a second gear indicator 21 b operatively coupled to second shiftoperating device 19 b by a second indicator cable 22 b.

Basically, shift operating devices 19 a and 19 b are substantiallyidentical to each other, except that they are mirror images and havedifferent numbers of gear shifting stages. Preferably, first shiftoperating device 19 a has seven shifting stages, while second shiftoperating device 19 b has three shift operating stages. Similarly, firstgear indicator 21 a is substantially identical to second gear indicator21 b, except that they are substantial mirror images and have differentnumbers of shifting stages. The shifting stages of gear indicators 21 aand 21 b correspond to the number of shifting stages in shift operatingdevices 19 a and 19 b, respectively. In other words, if first shiftoperating device 19 a has seven shift stages, first gear indicator 21 ahas seven gear indicating positions. Likewise, if second shift operatingdevice 19 b has three shifting stage positions, second gear indicator 21b also has three gear indicating positions.

As seen in FIGS. 2, 25 and 26, a gear indicator holder 23 is illustratedfor adjustably supporting first and second gear indicators 21 a and 21 bdiscussed in more detail. Gear indicator holder 23 is designed to allowthe shifting units 11 a and 11 b to be easily installed onto handlebars13. Moreover, the gear indicator holder 23 is designed to accommodatevarious handlebars. Gear indicator holder 23 adjustably supports gearindicators 21 a and 21 b such that gear indicators 21 a and 21 b canmove in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the verticalcenter plane of the bicycle. More specifically, gear indicator holder 23is designed to be mounted adjacent to the center of the handlebar 13with the gear indicators 21 a and 21 b being slidably coupled theretofor movement generally along the longitudinal axis of handlebar 13. Gearindicator is discussed in more detail below.

In view of the similarities between shift operating device 19 a andshift operating device 19 b, shift operating device 19 b will not bediscussed or illustrated in detail herein. Rather, it will be apparentto those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the descriptionand illustrations of shift operating device 19 a applies to theconstruction and operation of shift operating device 19 b. Similarly,gear indicator 21 b will not be discussed or illustrated in detailherein. Rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromthis disclosure that the construction and operation of second gearindicator 21 b can be obtained from the description of first gearindicator 21 a.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, shift operating device 19 a basicallyincludes an attachment portion 24, a hand operating portion 25, atake-up member 26, a shift cable housing support 27 and an indicatorcable housing support 28. Shift operating device 19 a is operativelycoupled to rear derailleur 17 via first shift cable 20 a and operativelycoupled to first gear indicator 21 a via first indicator cable 22 a.

Attachment portion 24 of this embodiment of shift operating device 19 ais also the attachment portion for a brake lever 30. Of course, it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that attachment portion 24 canbe separate from the brake lever 30. Brake lever 30 is connected to abrake control cable for controlling a brake device in a conventionalmanner.

In the preferred embodiment, attachment portion 24 has a substantiallycircular clamping section 31 that has a longitudinal split to form apair of clamping jaws. The clamping jaws of clamping section 31 arecoupled together by a fastener (not shown) for tightening the clampingsection 31 about handlebar 13. Since the attachment portion 24 isrelatively conventional to those skilled in the art, attachment portion24 will not be discussed or illustrated in further detail herein.

Attachment portion 24 preferably has pivot shaft (not shown) forrotatably mounting take up member 26 thereto. The pivot shaft has a freeend with a thread hole for threadedly receiving a fastener (not shown)therein. Since the precise connection between attachment portion 24 andtake up member 26 is not important to the present invention, theconnection between attachment portion 24 and take up member 26 will notbe discussed or illustrated further detail herein.

In this embodiment, hand operating portion 25 is in the form of a leverthat is fixedly coupled to take up member 26. When a rider pushes handoperating portion or hand operating lever 25, this movement of handoperating portion or lever 25 causes take up member 26 to pivot about arotational axis Y together with hand operating portion or lever 25. Thismovement of hand operating portion or lever 25 about rotational axis Yalso causes the first shift cable 20a to be pulled and/or released so asto shift the rear derailleur 17. This shifting of rear derailleur 17causes the chain 16 to move between gears. Movement of hand operatingportion or lever 25 also causes indicator cable 22 a to be released orpulled so that gear indicator 21 a displays the current gear position ofchain 16.

Take up member 26 is rotatably mounted on attachment portion 24 forrotating or pivoting about rotational axis Y due to movement of handoperating portion 25. The precise pivotal connection between take upmember 26 and attachment portion 24 is not critical to the presentinvention. Therefore, this connection will not be discussed orillustrated in detail herein. Moreover, it will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art from this disclosure that the connection can besimilar to one of the subsequent embodiments disclosed herein.

Preferably, as best seen in FIGS. 4 through 10, take up member 26 is acylindrical spool-type member with an axially extending center hole 34,a peripheral winding surface 35, a shift cable attachment point 36, anindicator cable attachment point 37, a connecting cable attachment point38. Preferably, center hole 34 is rotatably mounted on the pivot shaft(not shown) extending outwardly from attachment portion 24 for rotationabout rotational axis Y.

While three attachment points are illustrated in this embodiment, itwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdisclosure that only shift cable attachment point 36 and an indicatorcable attachment point 37 are necessary for this embodiment. Connectingcable attachment point 38 is utilized in another embodiment of thepresent invention, which is discussed below.

Peripheral winding surface 35 has three peripheral winding grooves orrecesses 41, 42 and 43. While three peripheral winding grooves orrecesses are illustrated in this embodiment, it will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art from this disclosure that only twoperipheral winding grooves or recesses are necessary for thisembodiment. The third peripheral winding groove or recess is utilized inanother embodiment of the present invention, which is discussed below.

Groove or first peripheral surface 41 is adapted to receive the shiftcable 20 a, while groove or second peripheral surface 42 is designed toreceive the indicator cable 22 a. Accordingly, rotation of take upmember 26 will cause indicator cable 22 a and shift cable 20 a to eitherbe wound around peripheral winding surface 35 or unwound from peripheralwinding surface 35.

As best seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8, indicator cable attachment point 37 isformed by an axially extending hole 46 and a connecting slot 47 thatexits out of the take up member 26 along its peripheral winding surface35. Slot 47 connects with peripheral winding groove 42. The slots 45 and47 of shift cable attachment point 36 and indicator cable attachmentpoint 37 are such that shift cable 20 a and indicator cable 22 a extendsin a substantially parallel manner from take up member 26. The term“substantially parallel” as utilized to describe the indicator cable 22a and the shift cable 20 a exiting the take up member 26 and the supporthousings should be construed as meaning an angle of as high asapproximately 30°.

As best seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 10, connecting cable attachment point 38is formed by an axially extending hole 48 and a connecting slot 49 thatexits out of the take up member 26 along its peripheral winding surface35. Slot 49 connects with peripheral winding groove 43. Slot 49 extendsin substantially the opposite direction from slots 45 and 47 of shiftcable attachment point 36 and indicator cable attachment point 37.

Referring back to FIG. 3, also the shift cable housing support 27 andthe indicator cable housing support 28 are fixedly mounted on attachmentportion 24. In accordance with this preferred embodiment, the shiftcable housing support 27 and the indicator cable housing support 28 havea common outer support that is fastened to attachment portion 24 via aconventional fastener such as a screw or rivet (not shown).Alternatively, outer support for shift cable housing support 27 andindicator cable housing support 28 can be integrally formed with aportion of attachment portion 24 as seen in one of the laterembodiments.

Preferably, shift cable housing support 27 has a threaded bore 50 forreceiving an adjustment member or barrel 51 therein. The adjustmentmember 51 is threadedly received in the threaded bore 50 of shift cablehousing support 27 so that the relative position of the outer casing andthe inner wire of shift cable 20 a can be adjusted relative to eachother. Adjustment member 51 has a shift cable housing receiving bore 53.This shift cable housing receiving bore 53 is preferably a bore with afour to five millimeter diameter or slightly larger than a fivemillimeter diameter. In particular, shift cable housing receiving bore53 is designed to receive a four or five millimeter diameter shift cable20 a. Preferably, the longitudinal axis of shift cable housing receivingbore 53 extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis ofhandlebar 13.

A resistance enhancing spring (not shown) can be optionally disposedwithin adjustment member 51 to prevent inadvertent movement ofadjustment member 51. Cable Adjustment member 51 operates in awell-known manner to adjust the tension on the inner wire of shift cable20 a.

Indicator cable housing support 28 preferably has a threaded bore 54 forreceiving an adjustment member 55 such that the adjustment member 55 canbe longitudinally adjusted relative to indicator cable housing support28. The adjustment member 55 has an axially extending indicator housingreceiving bore 56. Indicator cable housing receiving bore 56 issubstantially parallel to shift cable housing receiving bore 53 suchthat shift cable 20 a and indicator cable 22 a extend substantiallyparallel to the longitudinal axis X of the handlebar 13 as they exittheir respective cable housing supports 27 and 28. A slit 57 is formedin indicator cable housing support 28 and adjustment member 55 to permiteasy installation of indicator cable 22 a.

Since indicator cable 22 a is only operating gear indicator 21 a,indicator cable 22 a can be constructed of a smaller cable than shiftcable 20 a. For example, shift cable 20 a is preferably a four to fivemillimeter diameter cable and indicator cable 22 a is preferably a threeto four millimeter diameter cable. In other words, shift cable 20 a andindicator cable 22 a are substantially the same diameter with indicatorcable 22 a being slightly smaller in diameter than shift cable 20 a.

Shift cable 20 a preferably has a nipple 60 fixedly coupled on a firstcable end, while the other cable end is a free end. Indicator cable 22a, on the other hand, preferably, has a nipple 61 fixedly coupled at afirst end and a nipple 62 fixedly coupled at a second end. The nipple 60of the shift cable 20 a is adapted to be coupled to the shift cableattachment point 36, while the other end of shift cable 20 a is coupledto rear derailleur 17. Nipples 61 of the indicator cable 22 a is adaptedto be coupled to the indicator cable attachment point 37 of take-upmember 26, while nipple 62 is adapted to be coupled to the gearindicator 21 a.

Referring now to FIGS. 11 through 13, an alternate shift operatingdevice 19′ is illustrated in accordance with another embodiment of thepresent invention. This alternative shift operating device 19′ isdesigned to be utilized with either first or second gear indicators 21 aor 21 b as well as with gear indicator holder 23. This shift operatingdevice 19′ is a grip-type of shifting device. In particular, rotation ofthe grip or hand operating portion 25′ causes the shift cable 20 a andthe indicator cable 22 a to be released or pulled for shifting gears.

As shown in FIG. 11, shift operating device 19′ basically includes anattachment portion 24′, a hand operating portion 25′, a take-up member26′ (first and second take up parts 26 a and 26 b connected by aconnecting cable 29), a shift cable housing support 27′ and an indicatorcable housing support 28′. Shift operating device 19′ is operativelycoupled to rear or front derailleur 17 or 18 via shift cable 20 a or 20b and operatively coupled to one of the gear indicator 21 a or 21 b viaindicator cable 22 a or 22 b. Shift operating device 19′ is mountedaround the handlebar 13 via clamping section 65. Hand operating portion25′ is a rotatable handgrip that is structured for rotation around anaxis X that is coaxial with handlebar 13. Take-up member 26′ pulls andreleases the inner wires of shift cable 20 a and via indicator cable 22a as well as pulls and releases connecting cable 29.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are an exploded view of a portion of shift operatingdevice 19′ illustrating attachment portion 24′, hand operating portion25′ and take up member 26′ in more detail. The attachment portion 24′has a clamping section 65 that is used to fasten shift operating device19′ to handlebar 13 and a support section 66. Clamping section 65includes a collar-shaped clamp member 67 structured to mount aroundhandlebar 13 with a clamp arm extending from clamping section 65 tocouple the shift cable housing support 27′ and the indicator cablehousing support 28′ thereto.

Clamp section 65 also includes a clamping fastener 68 and a nut 69 for afastening attachment portion 24′ to a portion of handlebar 13. Inparticular, tightening clamping fastener 68 with nut 69 causes clampingsection 65 to tighten around a portion of handlebar 13.

The attachment portion 24′ also has a generally flat surface with apivot shaft 70 extending outwardly therefrom to rotatably support firsttake up part 26 a of take up member 26′ around an axis Y that isoriented differently (e.g., perpendicular) relative to the handlebaraxis X.

First take up part 26 a of take up member 26′ is retained on pivot shaft70 by a fastener 71 and washer 72. The fastener 71 extends into athreaded opening 73 formed in the end of pivot shaft 70. First take uppart 26 a of take up member 26′ is preferably identical to take upmember 26 of the first embodiment as seen in FIGS. 4-10. Accordingly,first take up part 26 a of take up member 26′ will not be separatelyillustrated herein.

Preferably, first take up part 26 a of take up member 26′ is acylindrical spool-type member with an axially extending center hole 34′,a peripheral winding surface 35′, a shift cable attachment point 36′, anindicator cable attachment point 37′, a connecting cable attachmentpoint 38′. Preferably, first take up part 26 a is rotatably mounted onthe pivot shaft 70 extending outwardly from attachment portion 24′ forrotation about rotational axis Y.

Peripheral winding surface 35′ has three peripheral winding grooves orrecesses 41′, 42′ and 43′. The third peripheral winding groove or recessis utilized in another embodiment of the present invention, which isdiscussed below.

Groove 41′ is adapted to receive the shift cable 20 a. Groove 42′ isdesigned to receive the indicator cable 22 a. Groove 43′ is designed toreceive the connecting cable 29. Accordingly, rotation of take up member26′ will cause shift cable 20 a, indicator cable 22 a and the connectingcable 29 to either be wound around peripheral winding surface 35′ orunwound from peripheral winding surface 35′.

Shift cable attachment point 36′ is preferably formed by an axiallyextending hole and an outwardly extending slot that connects withperipheral winding groove 41′. Shift cable attachment point 36′ isbasically formed along the peripheral winding surface 35′. Indicatorcable attachment point 37′ is formed by an axially extending hole and aconnecting slot that exits out of the first take up part 26 a along itsperipheral winding surface 35′ to connect with peripheral winding groove42′. The slots of shift cable attachment point 36′ and indicator cableattachment point 37′ are such that shift cable 20 a and indicator cable22 a extends in a substantially parallel manner from first take up part26 a. The term “substantially parallel” as utilized to describe theindicator cable 22 a and the shift cable 20 a exiting first take up part26 a and the support housings should be construed as meaning an angle ofas high as approximately 30°. Connecting cable attachment point 38′ isformed by an axially extending hole and a connecting slot that exits outof the first take up part 26 a along its peripheral winding surface 35′to connect with peripheral winding groove 43′.

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a particular embodiment of the secondtake up part 26 b of the take member 26′ and indexing mechanism 74 ofthe hand operating portion 25′. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, second takeup part 26 b of the take member 26′ is rotatably coupled about the axisX of handlebar 13. Preferably, indexing mechanism 74 of the handoperating portion 25′ is used to control the movement of second take uppart 26 b of the take member 26′ which in turn rotates first take uppart 26 a by connecting cable 29.

As seen in FIG. 13, indexing mechanism 74 preferably includes a fixedmember 75, a rotatable handgrip or hand actuator 76 and an intermediateelement 77. The fixed member 75 is fixedly attached to handlebar 13 insuch a way that it cannot rotate in relation to handlebar 13. Rotatablehandgrip 76 is a tubular member with gripping protrusions capable ofrotating around the handlebar axis X on fixed member 75.

Rotatable handgrip 76 can have a variety of shapes. Thus, the term“tubular member” as used herein is not limited to a cylindrical tube,but also includes non-circular tubes as well as frustoconically shapesof circular and non-circular tubes.

Intermediate element 77 (called “an idler”) meshes with both the fixedmember 75 and the rotatable handgrip 76, and can rotate around thehandlebar axis X. Intermediate element 77 can also move along thehandlebar axis X. Take-up part 26 b of the take member 26′ remains inconstant gear engagement with the intermediate element 77, and can thusrotate integrally with intermediate element 77. Indexing mechanisms suchas indexing mechanism 74 are well-known in the art, and thus, indexingmechanism 74 will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein.

A cable adjustment barrel or member 51′ is threaded into the end of theshift cable housing 27′. The cable adjustment barrel or member 51′receiving outer casing of shift cable 20 a. The cable adjustment barrelor member operates in a well-manner to adjust the tension on inner wireof shift cable 20 a.

Also fixedly mounted on attachment portion 24′ are the shift cablehousing support 27′ and the indicator cable housing support 28′. Inaccrodance with this preferred embodiment, the shift cable housingsupport 27′ and the indicator cable housing support 28′ have a commonouter support that is fastened to attachment portion 24′ via aconventional fastener such as a screw or rivet (not shown).Alternatively, outer support for shift cable housing support 27′ andindicator cable housing support 28′ can be integrally formed with aportion of attachment portion 24 as seen in one of the laterembodiments.

Preferably, shift cable housing support 27′ has a threaded bore 50′ forreceiving an adjustment member or barrel 51′ therein. The adjustmentmember 51′ is threadedly received in the threaded bore 50′ of shiftcable housing support 27′ so that the relative position of the outercasing and the inner wire of shift cable 20 a can be adjusted relativeto each other. Adjustment member 51′ has a shift cable housing receivingbore 53′. This shift cable housing receiving bore 53′ is preferably abore with a four to five millimeter diameter or slightly larger than afive millimeter diameter. In particular, shift cable housing receivingbore 53′ is designed to receive a four or five millimeter diameter shiftcable 20 a. Preferably, the longitudinal axis of shift cable housingreceiving bore 53′ extends substantially parallel to the longitudinalaxis of handlebar 13.

Indicator cable housing support 28′ preferably has a threaded bore (notshown) for receiving an adjustment member 55′ such that the adjustmentmember 55′ can be longitudinally adjusted relative to indicator cablehousing support 28′. The adjustment member 55′ has an axially extendingindicator housing receiving bore 56′. Indicator cable housing receivingbore 56′ is substantially parallel to shift cable housing receiving bore53′ such that shift cable 20 a and indicator cable 22 a extendsubstantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the handlebar 13 asthey exit their respective cable housing supports 27′ and 28′. A slit57′ is formed in indicator cable housing support 28′ and adjustmentmember 55′ to permit easy installation of indicator cable 22 a.

Referring now to FIG. 14, a further alternative embodiment of the shiftoperating device 19″ is illustrated in accordance with the presentinvention. Shift operating device 19″ basically includes an attachmentportion 24″, a hand operating portion 25″, a take-up member 26″, a shiftcable housing support 27″ and an indicator cable housing support 28″.Shift cable housing support 27″ and an indicator cable housing support28″ are integrally formed with a portion of attachment portion 24″.

Similar to the second embodiment, this shift operating device 19″ is agrip-type shifter in which rotation of the grip causes shifting of thegears. This alternative shift operating device 19″ is designed to beutilized with either first or second gear indicators 21 a or 21 b aswell as with gear indicator holder 23.

This shift operating device 19″ is a simplified grip-type of shiftingdevice. In particular, when shift operating device 19′ is operativelycoupled to rear derailleur 17 and gear indicator 21 a, rotation of thegrip or hand operating portion 25″ causes the shift cable 20 a and theindicator cable 22 a to be released or pulled for shifting gears. Thebasic difference between this third embodiment and the second embodimentis that a single take-up member 26″ is utilized. This take-up member 26″is located about a longitudinal axis X that is substantially parallel orconcentric with the longitudinal axis X of the handlebar portion uponwhich the shift operating device 19″ is attached. Take-up member 26″ issubstantially identical to take up member 26 of the first embodiment,except that the central pivot opening 34″ is larger to accommodatehandlebar 13 therein.

Preferably, shift cable housing support 27″ has a threaded bore 50″ forreceiving an adjustment member or barrel 51″ therein. The adjustmentmember 51″ is threadedly received in the threaded bore 50″ of shiftcable housing support 27″ so that the relative position of the outercasing and the inner wire of shift cable 20 a can be adjusted relativeto each other. Adjustment member 51″ has a shift cable housing receivingbore 53″. This shift cable housing receiving bore 53″ is preferably abore with a four to five millimeter diameter or slightly larger than afive millimeter diameter. In particular, shift cable housing receivingbore 53″ is designed to receive a four or five millimeter diameter shiftcable 20 a. Preferably, the longitudinal axis of shift cable housingreceiving bore 53″ extends substantially parallel to the longitudinalaxis of handlebar 13.

Indicator cable housing support 28″ preferably has a threaded bore 54″for receiving an adjustment member 55″ such that the adjustment member55″ can be longitudinally adjusted relative to indicator cable housingsupport 28″. The adjustment member 55″ has an axially extendingindicator housing receiving bore 56″. Indicator cable housing receivingbore 56″ is substantially parallel to shift cable housing receiving bore53″ such that shift cable 20 a and indicator cable 22 a extendsubstantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the handlebar 13 asthey exit their respective cable housing supports 27″ and 28″. A slit57″ is formed in indicator cable housing support 28″ and adjustmentmember 55″ to permit easy installation of indicator cable 22 a.

In view of the similarities of this embodiment with prior embodiments,this embodiment will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein.Rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdisclosure that the description of the prior embodiments, the subsequentembodiments, can be utilized to understand the operation andconstruction of this embodiment.

Turning now to FIGS. 15-19, gear indicator 21 a will now be described inmore detail. Gear indicator 21 a basically includes a housing 80, anindicator member 81, a cable hook adapter 82, a biasing member 83 and apair of fasteners 84. Housing 80 is preferably constructed of threepieces connected together by the fasteners 84. In particular, thehousing 80 has a first housing part 85, a second housing part 86 and atransparent cover 87 that are all fixedly coupled together by thefasteners 84.

The first housing part 85 and the second housing part 86 has theindicator member 81 slidably received therebetween and viewable throughthe transparent cover 87. More specifically, first housing part 85 has acavity 88 forming an indicator path with the indicator member 81 movablypositioned therein. The first housing part 85 has a first end 90, asecond end 91, a pair of lateral side walls 92 and a bottom wall 93. Thefirst end 90 has a hook 94 for fastening the biasing member 83 thereto,while the second end 91 has a semi-circular groove or recess 96. Morespecifically, recess 96 forms half of an indicator cable receivingopening that is a step-shaped bore.

The side walls 92 each has a stopper or abutment 97 extending inwardlyinto the cavity 88. These stoppers 97 are substantially aligned witheach other and spaced apart to form a slit 99, which is large enoughthat the cable hook adapter 82 and a portion of the biasing member 83can pass therethrough. However, this slit 99 is smaller than the widthof the indicator member 81 so that the indicator member 81 cannot passtherethrough.

The second housing part 86 is substantially identical to the firsthousing part 85, except that it is a mirror image of the first housingpart 85 and also includes a viewing window 100 formed in its uppersurface for receiving transparent cover 87 therein. More specifically,second housing part 86 has a longitudinally extending cavity 101 thatjoins with the cavity 88 of the first housing part 85. Also, a pair ofstoppers 102 extend inwardly into the cavity 101 in substantially thesame position as the other stoppers 97 of the first housing part 85.

The second housing part 86 also has a longitudinally extending recess103 that is a step-shaped recess having a first semi-cylindrical portionand a second semi-cylindrical portion for receiving a portion of theindicator cable 22 a therein. When the first and second housing parts 85and 86 are joined together, the longitudinal recesses 96 and 103 form astep-shaped bore having a first cylindrical section sized to receive theouter casing of the indicator cable and a second cylindrical sectionwhich allows the inner wire of the indicator cable 22 a to passtherethrough such that the end of the inner wire of indicator cable 22 acan be coupled to indicator member 81.

Indicator member 81 is frictionally retained on the cable end of theinner wire of the indicator cable 22 a. In other words, indicator member81 is normally frictionally held in its position until a force isapplied that is greater than the friction force between the indicatormember 81 and the indicator cable 22 a. Preferably, the biasing member83 has a biasing force that is greater than the friction force betweenthe indicator member 81 and the inner wire of the indicator cable 22 aas explained below. Preferably, the indicator member 81 is a hard, rigidmember constructed of a suitable material such as a plastic material.The indicator member 81 preferably extends substantially the entirewidth of the housing cavity such that the indicator member 81 does nottilt within the housing cavity.

Transparent cover 87 preferably includes a gear position indicia portion110 having a plurality of markings (seven) graphically representing thesize of the gear that is currently being utilized. In other words, whenthe indicator member 81 is aligned with one of the marks, this willindicate which gear is engaged by the chain 16.

Cable hook adapter 82 has a transverse bore 111 and a slit 112.Transverse bore 111 receives nipple 62 of the indicator cable 22 a,while slit 112 receives the inner wire of the indicator cable 22 a suchthat cable hook adapter 82 is retained on the nipple 62 of the innerwire of indicator cable 22 a. Cable hook adapter 82 also has a hook 113on the opposite end from the slit end. This hook 113 engages one of theends of the biasing member 83 for fastening the biasing member 83 to thecable end of the inner wire of the indicator cable 22 a.

The biasing member 83 is preferably a coil tension spring. The biasingmember 83 has a first biasing end 114 coupled to the first cable end ofthe inner wire of indicator cable 22 a and a second biasing end 115coupled to the interior of the housing. More specifically, the firstbiasing end 114 has a hook that engages the hook 113 of the cable hookadapter 82. The second biasing end 115 also has a hook that engages thehook 94 of the first housing part 85.

The fasteners 84 are preferably a pair of screws and a pair of nuts thatextend through holes formed in the first housing part 85, the secondhousing part 86 and the transparent cover 87 to fixedly secure the threeparts together.

In the illustrated embodiment of the gear indicator 21 a, the high gearposition or small sprocket position is located at the left end of themovement of the indicator member, while the low gear position or largesprocket position is located at the right end of the movement of theindicator member 81. Of course, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art from this disclosure that the positions of the high and lowgears can be reversed. The arrangement of the gear positions on theindicator 21 a will depend upon the type of derailleur being used andthe direction of the force of the derailleur's biasing member.

When the gear indicator 21 a is assembled, and the chain 16 is on thesmall sprocket, the indicator member 81 is moved to the leftmostposition (leftmost gear position mark) such that it abuts against thestoppers 97 and 102. In this position, the stoppers 97 and 102 arelocated between the indicator member 81 and the cable hook adapter 82.When the chain 16 is moved by the shift operating device 19 a, theindicator member 81 will move a predetermined distance that correspondswith the next gear position mark on the transparent cover 87. In otherwords, the gear positioning marks or indicia on the transparent cover 87are spaced predetermined distances from the stoppers 97 and 102, withthe distance from the stoppers 97 and 102 to each gear positioning marksor indicia corresponding to the distance of movement from the small gearto that particular gear. The second end or wall 91 of the cavity 88 alsoforms a stopper that corresponds to the low position or the largesprocket. Accordingly, in the event that the indicator cable 22 abecomes elongated, this indicator member 81 will automatically adjust orrecalibrate the indicator member 81 relative to the gear position marksof the housing 80. Moreover, if during assembly, the indicator member81is accidentally moved from its set position, the indicator member 81will engage one of the stoppers so as to recalibrate or readjust theunit to its proper position.

While the gear positioned indicia portion 110 is formed on thetransparent cover 87, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom this disclosure that the gear position indicia portion 110 could beformed on one of the housing parts, if needed and/or desired. Inparticular, in this embodiment, it is only necessary that the gearposition indicia portion 110 be non-movably located relative to thestoppers 97 and 102.

Referring now to FIGS. 20 and 21, an alternate embodiment of the gearindicator 21′ is illustrated in accordance with the present invention.In this embodiment, the indicator member 81′ can be fixedly coupled tothe inner wire of the cable 22 a such that there is no relativemovement. Rather, the automatic adjustment is accomplished by having thetransparent cover 87′ being frictionally engaged with the upper housingpart 86′, and having the stoppers 97′ formed on the transparent cover87′. In view of the similarities between this embodiment and the firstembodiment of the gear indicator 21 a, this embodiment of the gearindicator 21′ will not be discussed or illustrated in detail herein.Rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that thedescription of the construction and operation of the first embodimentcan be easily extrapolated to this embodiment.

Gear indicator 21′ basically includes a housing 80′, an indicator member81′, a cable hook adapter 82′, a biasing member 83′ and a pair offasteners 84′. Housing 80′ is preferably constructed of three piecesconnected together by the fasteners 84′. In particular, the housing 80′has a first housing part 85′ and a second housing part 86′ that arefixedly coupled together by the fasteners 84′. A transparent cover 87′is frictionally retained with in viewing window 100′. The first housingpart 85′ and the second housing part 86′ has the indicator member 81′slidably received therebetween and viewable through the transparentcover 87′. Transparent cover 87′ is moved by stoppers 97′ being engagedwith indicator 81′ upon elongation of indicator cable 22 a ormisalignment of indicator member 81′.

Referring now to FIGS. 22 through 24, an alternate gear indicator 21′″is illustrated in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention. In this embodiment, the gear indicator 21′″ is no longerautomatically adjusted to compensate for elongation indicator cable 22 aor misalignment of the indicator member 81′″. In this embodiment, thestoppers have been eliminated, and the transparent cover 87′″ ismanually adjusted. This manual adjustment can occur by either having afriction fit between the transparent cover 87′″ and the fasteners 84′″or by loosening the fasteners 84′″ to allow for the transparent cover87′″ to be moved along its longitudinal axis.

Basically, the transparent cover 87′″ is provided with a pair ofelongated slots 120 with the fasteners 84′″ located therein.Accordingly, the transparent cover can be moved along the recess formedin the upper housing part. While the transparent cover 87′″ isillustrated with slots 120 that engage stationary fasteners 84′″ securedto the housing 80′″, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artfrom this disclosure that other types of sliding arrangements can beutilized. For example, the slots could be formed in the housing parts,and a pair of tabs can be extending from the transparent cover into theslots of the housing parts to control the movement of the transparentcover. In other words, the fasteners would be stationary relative to thetransparent cover, but movable relative to the upper and lower housingparts.

Referring now to FIGS. 25 and 26, gear indicator holder 23 will now bediscussed in more detail. Gear indicator holder 23 is designed to allowthe shifting units 11 a and 11 b to be easily installed onto handlebars13. Moreover, the gear indicator holder 23 is designed to accommodatevarious handlebars. Gear indicator holder 23 adjustably supports firstand second gear indicators 21 a and 21 b such that gear indicators 21 aand 21 b can move in a direction that is substantially perpendicular tothe vertical center plane of the bicycle. More specifically, gearindicator holder 23 is designed to be mounted adjacent to the center ofthe handlebar 13 with the gear indicators 21 a and 21 b being slidablycoupled thereto for movement generally along the longitudinal axis ofhandlebar 13.

Basically, gear indicator holder 23 includes an attachment portion 121and a gear indicator support portion 122. The attachment portion 121 ispreferably a clamping member that engages the handlebar 13 to securegear indicator holder 23 to handlebar 13. In the illustrated embodiment,attachment portion 121 has a tubular clamping section 123 that is splitalong its longitudinal axis to form a pair of clamping jaws that arecoupled together via a fastener 124. Of course, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from this disclosure that the fastener 124 canbe eliminated and that a snap-on type of clamp could be utilized. In anyevent, it is preferred that the attachment portion 121 be integrallyformed or molded with the support portion 122 as a one-piece, unitarymember. Preferably, the attachment portion 121 (minus the fastener 124)and the support portion 122 are formed of a plastic material.

The support portion 122 preferably includes a base having asubstantially planar support surface with six coupling members 125extending outwardly from the planar surface of the base. The couplingmembers 125 are preferably arranged in three rows so as to form a pairof retaining slots for slidably receiving gear indicators 21 a and 21 b,respectively. More specifically, the coupling members 125 extendsubstantially perpendicular to the base with two of the coupling members125 being common between the two retaining slots. Each of the couplingmembers 125 has a free end with an abutment surface to retain the gearindicators 21 a and 21 b thereon. Preferably, the retaining slots areformed such that their longitudinal axes are substantially parallel toeach other. These longitudinal axes are preferably also parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the handlebar at its center portion.

Referring now to FIGS. 27 and 28, an alternate indicator assembly isillustrated in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention. This alternate indicator assembly has a modified gearindicator holder 223 for holding a pair of modified gear indicators 221a and 221 b. In this embodiment, gear indicator holder 223 has beensimplified and the housings of gear indicators 221 a and 221 b havemodified to be coupled together in a sliding manner.

Gear indicator holder 223 adjustably supports gear indicators 221 a and221 b such that gear indicators 221 a and 221 b can move in a directionthat is substantially perpendicular to the vertical center plane of thebicycle. More specifically, gear indicator holder 223 is designed to bemounted adjacent to the center of the handlebar 13 with the gearindicators 221 a and 221 b being slidably coupled thereto for movementgenerally along the longitudinal axis of handlebar 13.

Basically, gear indicator holder 223 includes an attachment portion 121′and a gear indicator support portion 122′. The attachment portion 121′is preferably a clamping member that engages the handlebar 13 to securegear indicator holder 223 to handlebar 13. In the illustratedembodiment, attachment portion 121′ has a tubular clamping section 123′that is split along its longitudinal axis to form a pair of clampingjaws that are coupled together via a fastener 124′. Of course, it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that thefastener 124′ can be eliminated and that a snap-on type of clamp couldbe utilized. In any event, it is preferred that the attachment portion121′ be integrally formed or molded with the support portion as aone-piece, unitary member. Preferably, the attachment portion (minus thefastener) and the support portion are formed of a plastic material.

The support portion 122′ preferably includes a brace having asubstantially planar support surface with four coupling members 125′extending outwardly from the planar surface of the base. The couplingmembers 125′ are preferably arranged in two rows so as to form a singleretaining slot with a sliding surface on support portion 122′ forslidably receiving gear indicators 221 a and 221 b, respectively. Morespecifically, the coupling members 125′ extend substantiallyperpendicular to the base. Each of the coupling members 125′ has a freeend with an abutment surface to retain the gear indicators 221 a and 221b thereon. The longitudinal axis of the retaining slot or space definedby the coupling members 125′ in this embodiment is preferably parallelto the longitudinal axis of the handlebar at its center portion.

Gear indicators 221 a and 221 b are slidably coupled together by a riband slot configuration. More specifically, gear indicator 221 b has alongitudinally extending rib 230 that is integrally formed with itshousing, while gear indicator 221 a has a longitudinally extending slot231 that is integrally formed in its housing. This rib and slotarrangement can be a mortise and tenon arrangement that holds gearindicators 221 a and 221 b together.

While several embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the presentinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdisclosure that various changes and modifications can be made hereinwithout departing from the scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing description of theembodiments according to the present invention are provided forillustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shift operating device, comprising: a bicycleattachment portion having a tubular handlebar attachment surfaceextending around a longitudinal axis; a tubular hand actuator rotatablycoupled to said bicycle attachment portion about said longitudinal axis;a take up member attached to said tubular hand actuator to move aboutsaid longitudinal axis in response to movement of said tubular handactuator, said take up member having a peripheral winding surfaceencircling said longitudinal axis, a first cable attachment point and asecond cable attachment point; a first cable attached to said firstcable attachment point of said take up member; and a second cableattached to said second cable attachment point of said take up member ata location that is different from said first cable attachment point,said first cable attachment point of said take up member being locatedsuch that said first cable extends outwardly from said take up memberand winds about said peripheral winding surface, said second cableattachment point of said take up member being located such that saidsecond cable extends outwardly from said take up member and winds aboutsaid peripheral winding surface.
 2. A shift operating device accordingto claim 1, wherein said peripheral winding surface of said take upmember has a first peripheral surface for guiding said first cable.
 3. Ashift operating device according to claim 2, wherein said peripheralwinding surface of said take up member has a second peripheral surfacefor guiding said second cable.
 4. A shift operating device according toclaim 1, further comprising a first cable housing support locatedadjacent said take up member, and having a first cable housing receivingbore.
 5. A shift operating device according to claim 4, furthercomprising a second cable housing support located adjacent said take upmember, and having a second cable housing receiving bore.
 6. A shiftoperating device according to claim 5, wherein said first cable housingsupport includes a first longitudinally movable adjustment member withsaid first cable housing receiving bore formed therein.
 7. A shiftoperating device according to claim 6, wherein said second cable housingsupport includes a second longitudinally movable adjustment member withsaid second cable housing receiving bore formed therein.
 8. A shiftoperating device according to claim 5, wherein said second cable housingsupport has a slit extending from said second cable housing receivingbore.
 9. A shift operating device according to claim 5, wherein saidfirst and second cable housing receiving bores are located adjacent eachother and extend longitudinally in the same direction.
 10. A shiftoperating device according to claim 1, wherein said second cable is anindicator cable having a nipple formed at both ends and one of saidnipples is coupled to said second cable attachment point.
 11. A shiftoperating device according to claim 1, wherein said first cable is ashift cable with a first shift cable end coupled to said first cableattachment point.
 12. A shift operating device according to claim 11,wherein said second cable is an indicator cable with a first indicatorcable end coupled to said second cable attachment point.
 13. A shiftoperating device, comprising: a bicycle attachment portion; a tubularhand actuator rotatably coupled relative to said bicycle attachmentportion about a longitudinal axis; a take up member operatively coupledto said tubular hand actuator to move about said longitudinal axis inresponse to movement of said tubular hand actuator, said take up memberhaving a first cable attachment point and a second cable attachmentpoint; a first cable attached to said first cable attachment point ofsaid take up member; a second cable attached to said second cableattachment point of said take up member at a location that is differentfrom said first cable attachment point, a first cable housing supportlocated adjacent said take up member, and having a first cable housingreceiving bore with said first cable extending therethrough; and asecond cable housing support located adjacent said first cable housingsupport, and having a second cable housing receiving bore with saidsecond cable extending therethrough, said second cable housing receivingbore being arranged to extend longitudinally in the same direction assaid first cable housing receiving bore.
 14. A shift operating deviceaccording to claim 13, wherein said take up member has a firstperipheral surface for guiding the first cable.
 15. A shift operatingdevice according to claim 14, wherein said take up member has a secondperipheral surface for guiding the second cable.
 16. A shift operatingdevice according to claim 13, wherein said first cable housing supportincludes a first longitudinally movable adjustment member with saidfirst cable housing receiving bore formed therein.
 17. A shift operatingdevice according to claim 16, wherein said second cable support includesa second longitudinally movable adjustment member with said second cablehousing receiving bore formed therein.
 18. A shift operating deviceaccording to claim 13, wherein said second cable housing support has aslit extending from said second cable housing receiving bore.
 19. Ashift operating device according to claim 13, wherein said second cableis an indicator cable having a nipple formed at both ends and one ofsaid nipples is coupled to said second cable attachment point.
 20. Ashift operating device, comprising: a bicycle attachment portion; atubular hand actuator rotatably coupled relative to said bicycleattachment portion about a longitudinal axis; a take up memberoperatively coupled to said tubular hand actuator to move about saidlongitudinal axis in response to movement of said tubular hand actuator,said take up member having a shift cable attachment point and anindicator cable attachment point, said take up member having aperipheral winding surface; an indicator cable having a first end and asecond end with said first end located in said peripheral surface ofsaid take up member; and a gear indicator having an indicator housingwith an indicator member coupled to said second end of said indicatorcable for movement of said indicator member relative to said indicatorhousing.
 21. A shift operating device according to claim 20, whereinsaid tubular hand actuator is rotatably mounted about a longitudinalaxis.
 22. A shift operating device according to claim 21, wherein saidtake up member rotates about a rotational axis.
 23. A shift operatingdevice according to claim 22, wherein said longitudinal axis is axiallyaligned with said rotational axis of said take up member.
 24. A shiftoperating device according to claim 20, wherein said take up member hasa first peripheral surface for guiding a shift cable.
 25. A shiftoperating device according to claim 24, wherein said take up member hasa second peripheral surface for guiding said indicator cable.
 26. Ashift operating device according to claim 20, further comprising a shiftcable housing support located adjacent said take up member, and having ashift cable housing receiving bore.
 27. A shift operating deviceaccording to claim 26, further comprising an indicator cable housingsupport located adjacent said take up member, and having an indicatorcable housing receiving bore.
 28. A shift operating device according toclaim 27, wherein said shift cable housing receiving bore and saidindicator cable housing receiving bore are located adjacent each otherand extend longitudinally in the same direction.
 29. A shift operatingdevice according to claim 20, wherein said indicator cable has a nippleformed at both ends and one of said nipples is coupled to said indicatorcable attachment point.